This little corner of the Barrosa Valley, part of the village of Bethany, has been a playground to me for as long as I can remember.

Nestled between the Schrapel vineyards, Tanunda Creek winds its way up Schlinke’s Gully into the Barrosa Ranges leaving people and farmland behind and replacing it all with bracken fern forest, rocky waterfalls, shady gumtrees, granite cliffs and the sights, sounds and smells of nature.

Here I undertook epic day long solo adventures, explored the little tributaries, collected tadpoles and scorpions and felt like a real explorer. The school excursions were fun but I liked it here best under my own direction.

I camped up in those hills with school friends, undertook my first attempts at campfire cooking and made friends with old man Schrapel and his dog. Much later that friendship would extend to his sons Robert and Jeff and visiting their little winery, Bethany Wines nestled right up in the foothills.

I’m not usually one to dabble in nostalgia but perhaps now more than ever is good time to remember the wonderful moments that have shaped who we are and make sure we never loose wonder in our beautiful world.